


No Hero

by thanoswife



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Anti-Hero, Bobo's Angel, Bobo's not a Bad Guy, Flashbacks, He's doing his best guys, Waverly Del Rey, bobo's the definition of an anti-hero, lots of flashbacks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-08
Updated: 2017-09-29
Packaged: 2018-12-25 05:19:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12028974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thanoswife/pseuds/thanoswife
Summary: Villains are motivated by the same things that heroes are - love, greed, fear. Bobo Del Rey isn't any different.





	1. The Wrong Side

_Waverly…_

_Waverly…_

His eyes shot open, his breath caught in his throat. Covered in sweat he rose quickly from the mess he called a bed. His heart beat as though it would burst right from his chest.

_Waverly._

The name that had haunted him, followed him throughout his lives, both alive on earth, and burning in hell. The name that he had held onto in his darkest days, and fought for even when the depths tried to burn the good man out of him.

And some would say that the depths had succeeded. Bobo Del Rey was not a good man. He hadn’t been a good man in many, many years. But this name, the name of the angel that followed him through his human life. The name of his angel that had kept him safe. The last bit of good that lingered in his hell-burnt body.

That name now hung in the air, ringing in his ears. A name he had longed to hear above the ground, on the earth. A name he had waited a hundred and fifteen years to hear spoken aloud. But something wasn’t right, there was something attached to his angel’s name. A surname, a label that churned his stomach. He felt as though he could vomit.

_Waverly Earp._  

His sorrow rushed through his body, causing him to fall to his knees. His angel, the one he had been waiting for. The girl who would save him… was an _Earp_. He howled in agony, throwing his coat on and storming out of the shack he had called home for the past 2 years.

So he rode. Rode to the place he couldn’t go. To the home of the man that he was destined to battle until one of them lost. Bobo Del Rey drove through the chill of a fall night. She was the one thing that had kept him holding on all these years. His angel was the only reason he was a fraction of the man he used to be. Waverly Earp was destined to be the death of him, whether that was tonight, or twenty three years from now, he needed to see her.

Stashed away in the shadows, he watched as the car pulled up. He and Ward, Earp and Svane. Three generations ago, the two would have fought side by side, a lawman and a good man, working together to right their town. But now, now Robert stood alone, fearing the way his heart thumped would give him away. He couldn’t get any closer, the ammonite preventing him from stepping another foot onto the Earp Homestead.

But he was close.

Close enough to see.

It wasn’t much, the infant was surrounded by the people she would call her family. It was dark, they were far away, but when Ward stepped into the light, the girl’s face appeared for just a moment. But in that moment, it was if the world melted away. Revenants and Earps, good and bad, the two sides of this coin and of this war, none of it mattered in this moment. This girl, the girl he had been waiting for since that fateful day at the church lifetimes ago, was everything. Everything faded and nothing else matter. Bobo knew at that moment, thd morning of September 8th, nothing else mattered. It would be imprinted on his fractured soul for the rest of his eternities. He had been living his lives on the sole word _Waverly._ And now, now he would spend the rest of this life, _her life_ , protecting this angel.

_His_ angel.

But the timelines didn’t match up, it didn’t make sense. He had been waiting for this child for over a century. His angel that had watched over him through the roughest points of his humanity. Something didn’t click. Has Michelle been pregnant? Ward kept her locked away in the house most days, she was a sight for sore eyes even when she was allowed out.

But what if…

The dates matched closely enough. 

There was that one… 

No, no. Not that.

It wasn’t possible. Bobo pushed the thought as far from his mind as he could muster. It wasn’t even a possibility, was it? It couldn’t be. That would be a curse worse than being born an Earp.

The baby cried and he felt something stir inside of him that he hadn’t felt in years. Perhaps since his original trip to hell. He felt… affection. No, no that wasn’t the word. Hope. Hearing the wail of the baby filled him with such an amount of hope he thought that it might kill him. Hope wasn’t something that demons found themselves particularly full of. And it was definitely hard to come by when the Earp heir was at large and of age. But this hope, it set a fire in his heart. This was the kind of hope that caused people to kill to keep it from being snuffed out.

This little girl, this hope, was no different.

The family was inside now, the lights shining softly through the windows. The girls, the three perfectly innocent girls that knew nothing about their past or their future, doting over their new baby sister. Their new Waverly.

His Waverly. 

Bobo stood, watching the house lights flicker until time seemed to be merely an illusion. He wasn’t sure how long he had been there, all he knew is that he felt rooted to the ground, to the house, to _her_.

The sun was beginning to rise when he finally forced himself to move. The revenants would be itching to make a move on the house. The family was distracted, they were weak. This would be the ideal time to attack, in whatever way they could. The ammonite barrier wouldn’t matter to a bunch of thick-headed demons that were hungry for blood. They would fight through the pain.

But, for the first time since he had been to hell, since the first time he had been resurrected, Bobo stood in front of the revenants, excited and ready for blood. “We do not attack the Earp Homestead today.” 

“But boss… With the baby jus-”

“No one harms the baby.” 

“Bobo, Ward won’t be paying attention to us. We can place the ta-”

“No one. Harms. The baby. We stick to the plan. Ward isn’t the biggest enemy. He won’t destroy us. We focus on what we need to do.”

Maybe he would regret his words later. Maybe the right thing to do was to set the craziness loose upon the Earp house this day. But that baby, his angel, she must be protected. He would keep her safe no matter the cost.

Even if it cost him everything.


	2. Standing in the Ashes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all i tried to make it AS CONFUSING as possible. italics are the flashbacks. non italics are not. you would have probably figured that out on ur own I JUST WANTED TO HELP YOU. ilysm

He waited.

And he waited. And he waited. And he waited.

But no amount of waiting could compare to how long he had stayed patient and vigilant. Waiting on his angel, his Waverly, the one that stood beside him on his dying day, the girl that would save him.

 

_Robert stood, hostage. The demon threatening to end his life if Wyatt didn’t agree to the terms he had laid out. Robert looked at the state of worry on Wyatt’s face. Clootie was going to get away. He didn’t know what to do._

_Robert knew._

_“Take the shot!”_

_“I can’t! Not without…”_

_“Take the shot Wyatt.”_

 

Bobo stood now on the edge of the lake, watching the girls play. It was just the two of them this time. The oldest Earp sister, Willa, along with his angel. He tried to stay away, he knew that this girl wasn’t the one, not yet. She wasn’t ready. But the mark she had left on his soul was irreversible. He couldn’t stop himself from being near to her, protecting her. Even if that meant going back on the vendetta he’d been holding for years.

He would protect this girl, this Earp, for as long as he lived.

Although, the last Earp he made that promise to left him for dead in a church...

 

_Robert had made his peace. He was never going to live the life he wanted to, not with Wyatt, not while the demon Clootie still reigned free. By doing this, by making this sacrifice, Robert could free Wyatt from his torment. It was the one thing that he could give to Wyatt, without blundering it up. The way he could help his dearest companion end the struggle he wrestled with._

_“Take the shot.”_

_Robert took a deep breath, closing his eyes, his life wasn’t meant to be long, it wasn’t meant to be a prosperous or an important one. But he could do this. He was a good man, but he could become a brave man. Wyatt Earp made him a brave man._

 

“Willa no!” The scream wrenched him back to the present. Bobo’s eyes darted to the lake, where Waverly now ran. The ice was thin, much too thin to bear the weight Waverly was putting on it as she ran to retrieve a stuffed toy. His breath caught in his throat. Don’t interact. Don’t interact. Don’t interact. His mantra since day one, five years ago when she was brought to the Homestead. He had kept his distance, observing her, watching how she never quite fit in.

He knew why.

But there was no reason to burden this child with the knowledge he had. She seemed happy. Or - happy enough. The Earps were not a loving bunch of people, and that showed in their treatment of the youngest. But she was young, there was still a chance for her to be different.

A shattering cry resonated over the lake, and his angel was nowhere to be seen. It took no time for Bobo to break out into a sprint, running straight for the now-visible crack in the ice’s surface. “Waverly!” He yelled, slowing down as he approached the hole. He shuffled slowly, trying cautiously not to crack the ice further. “Waverly.” He said again, peering into the hole in the ice. She was right there, unconscious and clinging to her stuffed rabbit. “Oh, Waverly.” He pulled her out of the ice, cradling her close to him.

“I’m here.” He whispered softly. “I’ve got you Waverly. Angel.”

 

_The sound of gunfire hung in the air after the shot had been fired. For a moment, it was if the world stopped moving. But that moment passed all too soon, and Robert quickly became aware of everything that was going on around him._

_If the world had been in slow-motion before, it was if someone hit the fast forward button. Clootie had released his hold on him, causing Robert to fall to his knees. The pain in his chest was unbearable, it felt as though hellfire was ripping through him.  Robert slouched to the ground, accepting of what was to come._

_“Robert!” Wyatt was there in an instant, holding Robert as he bled out into the street. “Robert, I’m - I’m so sorry. I didn’t know what to do. He had -”_

_“You did what you had to do.” Robert coughed, reaching for Wyatt’s hand.  “I would have ridden to-”_

_“Save your strength. We’ll get help. I just have to - shit. Shit! Shit, Robert he’s gone. Where did Clootie go? He’s gone!”_

_It was getting harder to breathe now, the pain making it harder to see. “Wyatt, do what you have to do. You need to end him. End this once and for all.”_

 

“Papa?”

His heart dropped. All the suffering, all the years in hell, and nothing hurt as much as this. She snuggled closer to him.

“I love you Papa.”

“Waverly - Angel I’m… I’m not…” They were at the edge of the lake now, he set her down carefully in the snowbanks. She shivered. “Here.” Bobo said, shrugging out of his coat. “This should warm you up.”

“Who are you?” She asked with a curious look. She was almost completely concealed under his large fur coat.

“Well, I’m -” He paused, searching for the right thing to say. “I’m Bobo.”

She giggled, the sound of her tinkling laughter filled the revenant’s heart with… happiness. “That’s a funny name!” She looked up at him, eyes filled with wonder. “Bobo, can we be friends?”

All his instincts told him to say no, to grab his coat and flee. Run as far away from her as he could. This was number one on the list of ‘Things a demon from hell should never ever do.’ There was no way to come back from this, not now, not ever. “Yes.” He said gruffly, looking away. This girl would be the death of him, and she didn’t even know it. “But it has to be a secret. Secret imaginary friends.” He grinned wickedly at her. “Can you keep a secret?”

Waverly grinned, nodding vigorously.

“Go home, get warm, drink some cocoa. I’ll see you soon, angel.”

 

_“Robert I - I’ll come back. I won’t be long. I’ll be back. We’ll save you, we’ll fix you.”_

_“Wyatt, before - before you go” Robert took a staggering breath, wincing as he did. He tried to sit up, his glasses slipping when the pain wracked through him once again. “Wyatt, I have to tell you. I have to tell you. Wyatt, I lo-”_

_“Robert, there will be time for this later. Save your breath, I have to ride.” He pressed his forehead against Robert’s. “We’ll meet again, my friend. This can not be the end. This will not be the closing of your story. This isn’t the end.”_

 

Oh, but it was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank u sm for reading this guys. it's 90% just the chilis staff but also it helps me bc i cry a lot over Bobo Del Rey and maybe i'll cry less if he gets a good sided story.
> 
> probably not though. 
> 
> also rmbr to hmu on twitter @bobosdelrey and also maybe tumblr @bobosdelrey bc i love friends and i love u


	3. The Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bobo takes a huge risk to make Waverly happy, and ends up paying a small price for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took a twitter poll "do i break Bobo's heart or not?" and the answer was not but i decided to do it anyways........

“But you’ll come Bobo, right?”

“Angel, I don’t know if I can. It’s... it’s complicated”

Waverly pouted, crossing her arms over her chest in a huff. “But you have to! It’s my first recital! I’ve worked so hard!”

“I know angel, I know. But I’ve got no place in a school building with all those parents and kids”

“Just tell them you’re my daddy! He…” Her voice trailed off, tears welling up in her eyes.   
“What’s wrong, love?” Bobo asked her softly, lifting her chin to meet his eyes.

“Daddy won’t be there.”

He felt his temper flaring up in him, the hatred for Ward Earp rising back before he could do anything about it. Being with Waverly, it was almost like a cure for his anger, for the pain he felt that the Earp family had caused him. He took a deep breath through gritted teeth. “I’m - Waverly, I’m sure your daddy will come. He wouldn’t miss the chance to watch an angel dance.”

“Please come, Bobo. Please please please please!” She was jumping up and down, tugging on his coat sleeve.

“I’ll see what I can do, ok? But I can’t make any promises.” He kissed her on the top of the head. “Go home now, get ready for your big night. Goodbye, angel.”

 

There was no possible way he could make it work. It wasn’t plausible or possible. A revenant could not be seen, alone, in a large gathering like that. He was no stranger to the town but, a children’s dance recital? If keeping a low profile was his job, this was not the way to do it. And yet - the idea of his angel, alone at her first performance, to look out and see that no one in the audience was there to watch her - the thought broke the remains of his heart.

You do what you have to do.

“Levi!” He growled loudly as he banged on the photographer’s door.

The man opened the door slowly. “Sorry boss, I wasn’t expecti-”

“It’s fine. I need clothes.”  
“Clothes, eh? Finally ditching the fur coat? It’s a nice look but-”

“Clothes, Levi!” He barked once more.

Levi opened, the door, inviting Bobo in. “I suppose I should take a little offence to the fact that you came _here_ looking for clothes, but I can let it slide this time.”

“You live close to my destination, your clothes do not stand out against a human’s clothing. That is why I am here, Levi, read nothing more into the situation.”

After being outfitted with new garb, Levi looked at him oddly. “Say boss, not that I’m here to tell you what to do, but if you’re _the_ Bobo Del Rey, why are you trying to… I dunno, blend in?”

“It’s just recon, Levi. Don’t question my actions again.”

“Just uh… one more thing boss. Your beard it’s… well, it’s not exactly very _incognito_ , if I might say so.”

Bobo huffed angrily, slamming the door behind him.

 

“Who’s the lucky lady” The cashier asked, smacking her gum loudly. Bobo shifted awkwardly, fishing for the wallet in his pocket. “Or gentleman, no judgement here hun” She pressed again, desperate to draw a conversation out of Bobo.

“It’s uh…” He spoke slowly, trying to keep his gruff manner of speaking at bay. “Dance recital.”

“Well she’s one lucky kid to have a dad like you. They’re hard to come by. Not many dads out here buying flowers for their little girls.”

Bobo slammed the money on the counter, leaving quickly. His heart was racing once more, every time he spoke about Waverly, it was as if he was being shot all over again. The pounding of his heart, his palms would sweat. This child had every hold on him, every choice he made reflected back to her and her life.

It would be different if she wasn’t -

How could he have known?

If only…

He couldn’t have known. There was no way he could have known. It wasn’t his fault. It wasn’t even _possible_.

He pushed the thought out of his mind for the hundredth time today, his angel was waiting.

 

Outfitted in a flannel shirt, jeans and a ball cap, he stood outside the auditorium. This was _such_  a bad idea. This was the day he was going to be killed. Shot directly in the face by the Earp heir. There wouldn’t be another day after this. He was putting it all on the line just by even attempting to be here tonight.

And yet, Bobo was quite certain that even if he tried to leave, he wouldn’t be able to. His life was always bringing him here, to Waverly Earp. All his path and all his lives, right here.

He snuck in the back, already at least ten minutes late. That was best though, less chance of anyone seeing him. He settled in a seat in the very back, close to the door and close to the exit. The lights were already dimmed, a older group of girls were performing now.

They finished shortly after, a round of applause following.

Younger girls took the stage now. He saw Waverly enter, looking rather downtrodden. She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. He watched as her eyes scanned the crowd, looking for her father, her sisters, anyone. Bobo shifted in his seat, lifting his hat slightly so that the light hit his face. He didn’t want her to feel alone. Not now - not ever.

Their eyes met for a moment, allowing Bobo to slink back into his seat, back under the cover of his hat.

 

The dance ended shortly thereafter. Waverly’s dance was delightful, filling Bobo, once again, with a sense of joy. Solely being around her was enough to brighten his mood. He hated to think about what would happen if something went wrong. If he made one wrong move and everything that he held dear would slip through his fingers.

“Hey!!!” He heard her voice shouting from across the small auditorium. “You came!”

Small arms wrapped around his waist tightly. He knelt down, “I told you I was gonna try, didn’t I?” He grinned, hugging her close.

“You look… weird. Where’s your fur coat? I like the fur coat.”

“Don’t you think a man in a raggedy fur coat would have stood out?” She giggled, eyeing the bouquet of flowers in his hand. “Oh, where are my manners. I was told that it’s customary to get the best dancer some flowers. Do you know where I could find her?”

Waverly stuck her tongue out at him, wrinkling her nose up as she said “You’re a meanie”

“I’m not, and you know it. Come on.” He hoisted her up on his shoulders, ducking as they walked out of the theater.

“Waverly!” A small girl asked. She looked to be around her age. “Waverly, who _is_ that?”

Waverly tapped Bobo on the head. “It’s my Uncle Bob. He drove three hours just to watch me dance. He’s crazy!”

Bobo grinned. She was so smart, so smart and so pure and too good. It was hard to believe the lineage she came from, especially knowing everything that he did. “Come on kiddo, let’s get you home.”

 

She rested, sound asleep in his arms as he approached the Homestead. There was a light on the front porch, Ward. The heir took a step off the porch, stumbling as he did so. “Shoulda known it was you, revenant.”

“And a friendly hello to you too, Heir.”

Ward stopped in his tracks when he saw Waverly in Bobo’s arm, curled up and clutching the small bouquet. “What did you do to her?”

“What I did, was be there. I showed up, Ward. Like her _father_ should have. She wanted you to be there. She’s a _child_ , Ward.” He could feel the anger rising up inside of him, threatening to burst. He took a deep breath, looking down at the snoozing ballerina in his arm. His heartbeat slowed.   
“You and I both know I ain’t her father.”

Bobo sighed heavily. “But she doesn’t. And she deserves a father that loves her. She’s _good_ Ward, even you have to see that. She’s not like - she’s…” Here he was, desperately trying to plead with his sworn enemy, to love this little girl. To give her the parenting and the affection she so deserved.

“Guess it’s a good thing her daddy was there tonight, huh?” Ward slurred angrily, spitting in Bobo’s direction.

“She can’t know. You can’t tell her Ward. She’s part of your family. She’s your daughter’s sister. She’s _good_. She’s not like me.”

Ward reached out and took Waverly from him. “I guess we’re lucky about that, huh?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all i'm sorry if this seems terrible i had ideas and then i didn't want to write the ideas and then i forced myself to write them bc i wasn't getting anywhere. Also i had like a 10 page paper due so that took priority (boo)


	4. Jericho

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes you make a plan, sometimes the plans make you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one goes out to TakadaSaiko's anon that suggested this, and for letting me us the idea in this chapter.
> 
> Also to all of my super sweet tumblr anons i love you all so much you brighten my day.

“It’s the only way boss, it has to be done.”

“For the final time, no.” Bobo hissed, pinching the bridge of his nose in a (failing) attempt to stay calm. “It can’t, and it won’t, happen. We’re close, boys. Ward and I, we can come to an agreement.”

“But that’s still an agreement with an _heir_ ” Hetty spat, pacing angrily around the small room. “If we _kill_ the heir, and his kin, it won’t matter anymore. We’ll be free without having to consort with the likes of them at all.”

“Hetty. Listen. All of you, just…” Bobo let out a drawn out sigh. “Just listen. Give me time, alright? Hows about we say a month. Give me a month and I’ll get it all figured out. The talisman, the curse, the heir, all of it. Give me time.” He stood, brushing his hands on his jacket, as if cleaning the scum of the present company away. “I’m still in charge, and I’m still the boss.” He snapped his teeth. “And until the time that an heir puts me under, you listen to no one else, do you understand?”

A chorus of unsatisfied groans came from the group of revenants, giving Bobo his cue to leave. He glanced at the clock on the wall on his way out the door. Quarter past 2. He was going to be late.

 

A giant fur coat was all that could be seen from the distance. A giant fur coat, and sparkly pink watch, and a very upset five year old. “You said 2pm. It’s 2:38pm.” She stuck out her watch. “Late late late.”

Bobo grinned, “I like that watch. I want a matching one. Do you think they make it in my size?”

“No. This is my watch.”

“I like your watch, gimme your watch!” He growled playfully, scooping Waverly up and throwing her over his shoulder. Her squeals echoed through the forest. Their safe place. He wished that they could spend forever in this place. Just he and Waverly, his angel.

His daughter.

He would never tell her. It was a secret that he would take back to hell with him. She didn’t need to carry the burden, to harbor the fate that might mean she could never leave the Ghost River Triangle. If she would be stuck here forever. If, when she passed, it would mean -

 _Stop._ He willed himself to focus on the now. He couldn’t let his thoughts linger. Not now, not while he felt all too happy. Happier than a demon was ever supposed to be.

“Isn’t a little girl supposed to be taking a nap at this time?” He asked, plopping her back down on the log she had been sitting on earlier.  
“I’m almost six years old! I don’t need to take naps now. I’m almost in school!”

“Angel, I don’t think that’s how that works.”

“Daddy’s off practicing shooting with Willa, and I don’t know where Wynonna is. I get lonely.” Her face fell for a moment. Bobo took several deep breaths to calm his anger before it got out of hand. It wasn’t long before his angel’s smile was shining once more. “That’s why I like it here with you! I’d come visit you every day if I could. Or…” She jumped up happily. “I could come stay with you! We could be bestest friends forever and have fun all the time!”

A rustle echoed throughout the forest. Bobo scanned the area quickly, nothing visible. Probably a rabbit. “You can’t angel. You have to stay with your family, you know that.”

“I know but -” Before she could finish her thought, her words were cut off by an anguished howl, a scream so painful, Bobo covered his ears instinctively.

That was, until, it registered that the scream was coming _from Waverly._

He fought back the devil rising inside of him, watching the surroundings carefully. That’s when he saw him.

Short, stout, angry.

“Ace, Ace listen to me.” Bobo said, stepping towards the revenant. “Let her go. Put her down.” The revenant complied, coming out of the woods and glaring angrily at Bobo. “Ace, what are you doing here?”

“I heard.” He said, his voice dripping with malice. “I heard your conversation with the Seven. Give you _time_ , you said” He laughed a laugh that sounded so eerie, the hairs on Bobo’s neck stood on end. “Time to do this? To…. to _play_ with this little girl? _Pervert_.” He spat the last word towards Bobo.

He had to be careful. Waverly was watching. Albeit, she was crying in the snow, crumpled up. But every move that he made right now, in this instant, was crucial. If he acted out of pure rage and hellfire, he would scare her, and he would lose her. But if he was weak in this lesser revenant’s eyes, he could _actually lose her_. There was no happy medium to be found.

Lose Waverly? Or lose his status? Both of which he had worked and waited so long for. Both he had spent his time and his freedom prepping for, planning for. Which one could he hand over now? “Ace. Ace talk to me. Tell me what you need.”

“I need to be free from this curse _Boss_. I need you to place the god damn talisman and free us. I need to kill the heir and his spawn so that we can get out of here. For good. That’s what I need.”

Words. Words would be the only way that he could get out of this. Words could cut Ace, but leave Waverly innocent.

At least, that’s what he hoped.

“Ace, remind me why you aren’t the best of all of us? Coming back with something as powerful as _hemokinesis_ , and yet you’re just an errand boy. Why is that? It’s because you’re _weak_ Ace, you’re not a leader. Hell, most days you’re not even a follower. Couldn’t get a single person to go through with your ideas, so you come out into the woods to attack a _little girl_. Ace - you’re nothing like the rest of them. You could never be a part of the Seven”

“Shut your damn mouth!” Ace shouted.

And Waverly screamed again.

But this time, Bobo wasn’t caught by surprise, and this time he could do something about it. He dove in front of Waverly, blocking her from the revenant’s view. “If you…” he strained, struggling against the pain to stand, “can’t see her… you can’t hurt her.” He hissed, the blood in his veins burning like fire.

Ace cackled, his eyes turning deep red. “You’re willing to suffer? To feel pain? For an _Earp_? This one isn’t even the heir” He reached his hand out, as if to call the blood to him straight out of Bobo’s body.

Bobo doubled over, grasping at his midsection. A low groan escaped his mouth as the pain, the fire and the burning, intensified. But then, his eyes shot red, channeling the scorching pain that ripped through him. He felt the power, the sheer magnitude of strength that came from being a spawn-of-the-devil, risen again, demon. He stood straight, using the pain now as a fuel. “Be careful, boy” He spat, his voice deeper than before, “You’re treading in dangerous waters.”

Ace dropped his hand, his powers over Bobo seceding. “Boss I, I was just…”

“Just _what_?” Bobo was close to him now, their faces inches apart.

“Um. I was-” Ace gulped

Bobo grabbed him by the throat, holding tightly. “I should snap your neck here and now.”

A small, weak voice whispered behind them. A sound so soft, it could have easily been mistaken for the wind. “Bobo?”

The red receded from his eyes, clarity washing quickly over him. But he didn’t let Ace go, not yet. He put his lips to the revenant’s ear, “No one touches the baby. My word.” He whispered harshly. “If anyone asks, you tell them that. My word. My law.” He released Ace. “Go. Before I feel a little less forgiving.”

And Ace ran.

Bobo immediately spun around, rushing to his angel. He pulled her up to her feet, sitting on the log she was on early. Without hesitation, the girl climbed into his lap, clutching fistfuls of fur coat as she cried into his chest. “Oh angel, oh baby, I am so sorry.”

They sat there for what felt like an eternity. Bobo rocked gently back and forth, trying to calm the shaken Waverly. She sniffled. “What was he?”

 _He_ . What was he. Not what was Bobo, not a scream and a run in the other direction. All Waverly wanted to know was what was the _other guy_.

“He was… a bad guy. He was a bad guy…”

“Was he what my daddy and Willa are trying to kill?”

Bobo swallowed heavily. “Yes.”

“I hope they kill every last one of them.” Waverly said, with an anger in her voice that shocked even Bobo, king of the demons.

Bobo shifted, setting Waverly down on the log, and crouching down in front of her, so that he could look in her eyes. “Waverly. A time may come when these bad people try and hurt your family. They might try and hurt you.” Waverly’s eyes filled with fear.

“But I-”

“Let me finish,” He said softly, smiling reassuringly at her. “If this time comes, I’m going to need you to trust me, and trust me a lot, okay? Do you trust me?” She nodded. “I’m going to tell you some things that might seem scary, but I need you to know them. Are you ready?” He hated that he had to tell her this. He hated that it was even an option. But with everything that had just occurred, it was possible that their time table had just moved up. Rapidly.

Waverly nodded again, “Okay Bobo.”

“When that time comes, you’ll have to look for me. We’ll come up with a special signal. A secret code name, anything that you want, and I’ll save you. I will make sure that you get out safe, okay? These bad guys are going to do bad bad things to your house, and you’ll need to get out.”

“Jericho.”

“I… what?”

She smiled, albeit she was a little afraid. “Can we call it Operation Jericho?”

“Like the bible story?”

“Yeah! The walls will fall down, but you’ll save me before I get hurt.”

He pulled her in for a hug. “We can call it whatever you like, Angel.” He whispered softly.

“Alright then!” She stated, seeming much braver than before. She pulled away from him and pumped a fist in the air “Operation Jericho is a go!”

Bobo grinned widely. “Go home, little duck. Little girls your age should _definitely_ be napping right about now. Don’t worry about the bad guys. I’ll keep you safe.”

“I know you will Bobo. Forever and ever.” She kissed him on the cheek before turning to walk home.

His smile fell as she trapezed her way back to the Homestead. “Forever and ever” he whispered softly.

_He was in too deep._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love it? Hate it? I'm a needy ho that needs to know (did u like my rhyme???) so drop me a line here or u can hmu on tumblr or twitter @bobosdelrey and tell me things or suggest things or yell at me tbh i just need the validation


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